Dead Not Gone
by pimmyjalmergrl
Summary: When Ziva starts to have odd dreams, dreams that scare her in a way none have before, she doesn't know who to go to. Ziva/Ducky/Jimmy/Kate/Tony
1. Chapter 1

Dead Not Gone

"Your old partner, Kate, she was pretty, yes?" Ziva asked quizzically as she settled into her chair.

"Yeah I guess she was, but w-why are you asking that anyway?" Tony finished, a little bit flustered.

"Well you are a man, and you seem to notice these things, I would think that that would be the case, even with a partner, yes?" Ziva strolled casually up to Tony's desk and perched on its edge.

"Ziva what do you want me to say? She _was_ really pretty but she's dead now, I don't have a chance with a dead girl" Tony stood and walked by Ziva, just close enough that she could see his eyes watering.

"Now this is not the usual Tony" She murmured to his stapler which she was absent mindedly turning over and over in her hands. The only thing I got from this was that Tony has some bottled up issues, thought Ziva, perhaps I ought to as someone a bit more…insightful.

xxx

"Hello my dear" said Ducky, not turning away from the body of a young woman who had received a bullet through her heart. "Did Jethro send you for my autopsy report? I'm afraid you shall have to return empty handed I-"

"Ducky, I am not here for Gibbs, I-I have a question for you." Said Ziva walking over to stand beside the medical examiner. "Where is Palmer?"

"Up in Abigail's lab and dawdling for far too long, I shall have to call up and-"

"No don't," Said Ziva abruptly stopping Ducky in his tracks half way to the phone. "Can we keep this between us?"

"Well of course my dear, but you'll first have to tell me what 'this' is."

"I meant this conversation. I have a question for you."

"Yes we have established that my dear, please go right ahead and ask."

"What was Special Agent Todd, like Ducky?"

"Ahh Kaitlyn… She was very responsible, very smart. She almost never took advantage of this, but I believe that if she wished to, she could have read anybody. She had the ability to read feelings as if they were a book, quite an admirable talent indeed." Ducky said still examining the corpse.

"And she was funny, yes?"

"At times I suppose. Her relationship with agent DiNozzo was quite comical, they acted like children at times, sister and brother." Ziva nodded, this sounded familiar.

"Was she the type to seek revenge?" Ziva asked,

"Well dear I suppose that depends, as it would with anybody, but Officer David, she was a very nice young lady and I highly doubt she wiuld have done anything rash had it not been warranted."

"I see, thank you doctor."

"Of course." Ducky replied turning to the corpse momentarily, "And Ziva dear,"

"Yes doctor?" Ziva responded turning away from the door.

"May I ask what this was about?"

"No I'm sorry doctor."

"I see, please let me know if I can help with something, you do not seem yourself today."

"I will doctor." With that Ziva strode out of autopsy.


	2. Chapter 2

Ziva punched the up button in a daze. So the dreams then, they were undoubtedly of her own fabrication. Ziva did not believe in the after life, well at least not in people coming back from it. So why had she asked about revenge? The question had just fallen out of her mouth. Had she begun to doubt her convictions about death? Or was she simply curious? There was no way of knowing.

"Ding!" The elevator doors opened and Ziva rushed in without hesitating. Unfortunatley Ziva ran right into Jimmy Palmer returning from Abby's lab. Jimmy lost his balance, toppling backwards into the elevator. His arms flailed, desperate for something to hold onto he grabbed at Ziva and pulled her down with him.

"You are stronger than you look Jimmy" Ziva mumbled, rolling onto her back on the floor of the elevator.

"Huh? I mean thank you? I mean what?" He asked in a confused tone.

"Are you unharmed Jimmy?" Ziva questioned the young man who lay beside her on the floor of the elevator.

"Uh yeah, but your not." Jimmy sat up and brushed a piece of Ziva's hair off her forehead revealing a long angular bruise already forming and a long scratch to go with it. "I am **so** sorry Ziva."

"It was not your fault, I was not looking." Ziva assured him sitting up also. Her hand went to her head. "I feel wizzy Palmer."

"Woozy?"

"Yes, that too."

"We'll get Dr. Mallard to patch you up." Jimmy hoisted himself up on the railing of the elevator and turning to face her, offered Ziva his hand. Ziva accepted it and Jimmy lifted her to her feet.


	3. Chapter 3

"Dr. Mallard?"

"Ducky?"

"He's not here."

"That seems to be the case." Jimmy and Ziva stood just beyond the entrance to autopsy.

"No worries, _I'll _just patch you up. Take a seat." Jimmy pointed to one of the empty autopsy tables. Ziva shuffled over to the table as Jimmy disappeared into the supply closet.

"Thank you Jimmy."

"It's the least I can do" Jimmy responded,

"mm," Ziva stared off into space.

Approaching the agent sitting on the autopsy table, Jimmy mused, "you sure have your head in the clouds today."

"I am not that tall Jimmy."

"No I mean you not really paying much attention, what's on your mind?"

"Did you know Agent Todd well Palmer?" Ziva flinched as palmer dabbed a wet washcloth across her forehead.

"Kate? I knew her, we weren't close or anything, you've gotta hold still."

"Sorry Jimmy, but you do know that…Ari killed and I… killed Ari, yes?" she mumbled stiffly.

"Yes I do." Jimmy looked away.

"I see."

"Ziva, what's on your mind?" Jimmy asked as he put a Band-Aid over her cut.

"Oh nothing." Ziva looked away.

"No it's not nothing, what wrong Ziva?" Jimmy's hand grazed her check as if he was not quite sure what to do with it. She inhaled deeply.

"I have been having these dreams, about Kate," Ziva began in a low voice, "they are all different, sometimes she is talking to me, yelling at me. Sometimes they are like memories, and sometimes… I am her." Jimmy stared at Ziva, dumbfounded. " I know it is silly, it is probably nothing."

"No it probably isn't," He said a little too loudly, "dreams are our way of resolving our own hidden issues." Jimmy paused, "I think you know that."

"Yes I suppose I do." She murmured her voice quivering. "Jimmy I feel guilty!"

"Bam!" Ziva's hands slammed against the autopsy table.

"I feel guilty about Kate! Like I could have done something to stop it, to have saved her."

"Why do you feel this way now? It's been a long time."

"I don't know, I just don't know Jimmy." Ziva burst into tears. Instinctively Jimmy pulled the crying agent into his arms.

"Ziva could you have done anything?"

"No I suppose not."

"And you killed her killer, yes? I mean right?"

"Yes, I did." Ziva was calmer now.

"Maybe these dreams are about you, wishing you'd known her." Jimmy suggested.

"I would have liked to meet her yes."

"I think she would have liked you Ziva."

"Do you?"

"Yes, with all my heart," Jimmy pulled Ziva away and held her at arms length, "Ziva you are not guilty of anything, well at least your not guilty of killing Kate, I don't really know about anyone else." She giggled a little and Jimmy chuckled to himself.

"Thank you, I am sure I could not have reached that conclusion without you. You are a very smart, very compassionate man Jimmy." Ziva murmured as she put her palm against his check.

"Thank you Ziva, I appreciate that."

"You are very welcome."

"Very welcome for what?" Gibbs asked as he strode into autopsy.


End file.
